These were not articles of dress, but badges of office. It will be recollected that Shadrach and his two companions had recently been set over provinces of Babylon; and Nebuchadnezzar degraded them by insisting on their wearing their insignia of office. The word cap would be better than hat, their caps of office; and sandals would be better than hosen. Coats or cloaks have always designated office. Hosen means what the Romans called calceus patricius, which were sandalled up to the calf of the leg. Every Latin scholar knows that calceos mutare means to become a senator.